Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-03
ORIENTAL MAGIC.
A Queer Little Story which, of Course, Is
Not Lie.
0Hrt Life in EGYPT

Oourt Life in EGYPT
Stories of oriental magic have always
their own fascination. Oneis half inclined
to credit wise mes of the East with pos
sessing a tradition of occult science long
lost among the restless changes Of the
West. Such n story nov came under my
notice. The Khedive sent for me one even
ing, and said:
/ have something curious to tell you.
There is a Turk here in Cairo who wears a
ring which he pretends is gifted with mag
ic virtues. / have seen him and the ring
it is a plain hoop OF gold, set with a red
stone, which is said to have come from
Mecca. The Turk also showed me a plate
OF silver, engraved with verses from the
Koran. He explained that he could not
work the charm himself, but required a
a child under 10 years of age. The child
takes the ring, the silver plate is put on
his head, and in a little while the color Of
the stone changes to white. Thereupon
the child looks into the stone, and sees
its visions, and al answer any questions. !"
The khedive went OF to say that, being
quite ~incredulous, he asked for permission
TO take the ring home and try it in private.
The owner consented. So the Khedive
took the ring to Ismaila Palace, where
there happened to be q little girl 8 years
cid belonging to the nurse-an ignorant
child, unable to read or write. When the
plate of silver was laid on her head and the
ring given into her hand, almost immedi-
ately she cried out, THE stone has turned
white" The Khedive then asked ques-
tons about persons whom the child had
not seen and received correct descriptions.
Another person present said:
'How many children have l ?"
Two sons and a daughter"
That is right. What is the elder son
like?"
HE wears a coat with a row of buttons
down the front, and striped trousers, and
has a sabre"
what is the second like?"
"He has a coat with two rows o fbuttons
in front, little gold cushions on his shout
ders and an anchor embroidered on his
cuffs"
The one was in the Turkish army, the
other in the Turkish navy, and both were
absolutely unknown to the child. Collu-
sion vas impossible; for even the wizard
would find it hard to penetrate into the
ladies' apartments of the Khedive's palace.
Moreover the questions were Toe rapid and
too varied to admit of shutting or guessing
nswer The Khedive's conclusion was:
81 cannot believe it, and yet | cannot
understand it,"
After some talk about English mesmer-
lists and ~clairvoyants, the Khedive related
that once, before he came to the throne,
he consulted a soothsayer in company with
the Minister of War.
"What is the news from Egypt" he
asked.
The soothsayer demanded two minutes
delay, and then replied, "War with Abys-
sinia
"Will the Egyptian army conquer"
Give me six minutes, :" replied the sor-
cerer.
At the end of that time his face became
very troubled, his voice ialtered, and his
whole body shook as he answered: The
Egyptians will be defeated and their army
destroyed; only a small remnant shall be
left" The prince laughed at the prophecy
and forgot it; but two months later the
same Minister of War showed him a dis
patch from Upper Egypt, stating that the
army had been utterly routed and four
battalions out of six annihilated. After
showing the dispatch, the Minister re-
marked: 'DO you remember our friend,
the sOrcerer?" and the Prince recollected.
Now as Khedive he regards the thing as a
curious coincidence.